How ‘Rogue One’ Set Up ‘The Last Jedi’ With a ‘Star Wars’ Easter Egg

It didn’t take long for Star Wars theories and Easter eggs to flood the internet after The Last Jedi hit theaters (we put together our own handy video here). But to find one of the most interesting connections to Rian Johnson’s game-changing sequel, you’ll have to revisit last year’s Rogue One, which centered on a hastily-assembled team’s efforts to steal the Death Star plans from the Empire. As it turns out, that film features an Easter egg that sets up a crucial plot point in The Last Jedi.

Via EW, a particularly eagle-eyed Star Wars fan picked up on the reference in Rogue One. It appears in a scene on Scarif, while Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is searching for the Death Star plans. During her search, she stumbles across a file that includes info for “hyperspace tracking“ — the same tech the First Order uses to track the Resistance ship in The Last Jedi.

He also went on to provide some additional info on the tech, which was developed by a secret initiative:

Turns out the First Order has been working to develop this tech since the good ol’ Empire days.

It’s an interesting connection, and given that the screenplay for The Last Jedi was already written while Gareth Edwards was filming Rogue One, it seems likely that the reference was planted there on purpose — sort of like a retroactive Easter egg.

The Last Jedi opened in theaters over the weekend, and though it’s the most divisive Star Wars film since the prequels (some fans have already started silly petitions to have it removed from official canon), the sequel is — unsurprisingly — a major hit.